A/N: Apologises for the delay but it's been a couple of hectic weeks for me. I won't bore you with the details. I'm glad that you all enjoyed Emma's sneakiness at getting a kiss from Regina. I just couldn't refuse!
Anyway, here's the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy!
A few days later Emma shoved her hands into her jeans pockets as she walked into Zelena's diner. She hovered nervously by the door as she looked for the redhead. She hadn't heard from Regina since the ball. Emma thought that the brunette had enjoyed the night just as much as she had. She'd expected to hear from her the next day but hadn't. Not being able to wait any longer Emma had sent Regina a text saying that she hoped Cora and her colleagues were off her back about being alone now but she had never gotten a reply. So against her better judgment Emma Swan found herself looking for Zelena to find out if she had offended Regina or if the brunette even liked her.
"Hey Emma," Zelena smiled as she appeared behind the counter and placed a brown bag down. "Did you enjoy the ball?"
Emma slid onto a stool at the counter and watched as Zelena began to put food into the bag. "Yes I did. I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did."
"You certainly looked like you were enjoying yourself." Zelena grinned as she remembered the kiss the blonde had shared with her baby sister. Zelena had called Regina the next day and Regina had told her all about the kiss. The brunette had admitted that she wished that it hadn't happened just because someone was watching them. The redhead had wanted to tell her right away that no one else had been watching but she knew that the two women had to figure it out on their own.
"Did Regina have a good time?" Emma tried to ask casually. "I haven't heard from her since."
"She certainly did." Zelena bit on her lip to keep herself from grinning as she poured two cups of coffee. "The best she's ever had at a ball."
"Oh, that's good." Emma gave a small nod trying to understand why she hadn't heard from the brunette if she had had a good time.
"She's been working." Zelena folded down the top of the bag as she finished putting in food. "I was just about to take lunch to her." She pushed the bag closer towards the blonde. "I was going to stay to eat lunch with her but it's starting to get busy here now." She paused hoping the blonde would take the hint.
Emma looked up at her for a few seconds. "I could take it for you? I'm not busy right now." She slowly reached for the bag.
"That would be great, thanks, Em." Zelena smiled widely and scribbled down the address of the law firm on a piece of paper before handing it to Emma.
xXx
Regina pulled open a drawer in her filing cabinet and began to flick through the folders searching for one in particular. She could feel her stomach starting to growl for lunch and she hoped that Zelena wouldn't be too much longer. She heard a faint knock at her office door as she found the folder she wanted and pulled it out. "Come in," she called and pushed the drawer closed as she turned to face a receptionist stood there. "Is Zelena here?" the brunette asked as she walked back to her desk.
"No, there's someone else here to see you." The receptionist stepped to the side so that Emma could walk into the office.
"Hi." The blonde smiled nervously and held up the bag. "I brought lunch."
"Emma." Regina smiled widely. "I thought Zelena was bringing me lunch." She walked out from behind her desk and made her way over to the blonde.
"The diner was busy so I offered to bring it over."
"Ah, coffee." Regina closed the door behind the receptionist as she spotted the two cups in Emma's hand. Emma offered her the cups and glanced around at the brunette's office. "Are you joining me for lunch?"
"Uh, I didn't bring anything for me."
Regina let out a soft laugh as she took the bag from Emma and placed it on the small table in the office. "Ze was going to stay for lunch so you can have her half." Both women sat down on the small sofa as Regina began to take the food out of the bag. "Your visit with lunch is a lovely surprise." Regina smiled at the blonde as she took a bit of her food. "I'm sorry I didn't reply to your message. Things here have been hectic the past few days. I've barely been home."
"It's okay." Emma tried to shrug it off but was relieved that Regina wasn't trying to avoid her.
"Thank you again for the other night. I had a really good time."
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Emma admitted. "I imagined it to be a bunch of stuck up snobs but they weren't that bad. Not when you have the right date."
Regina smiled into her coffee at the blonde's words. "If there's anything I can do to return the favour then please let me know."
"You don't owe me anything, Regina, but you could come to the movies with me this weekend. There's a film out that I want to see but no one will come with me." Emma grinned picturing exactly how Regina would react to a horror film.
"Something is telling me I probably shouldn't let you take me to this particular movie if no one else will go with you, but you suffered the ball for me so I'll come."
"Great." Both women shared a look as they enjoyed the rest of their lunch together.
xXx
"I should get back to work," Regina sighed as she glanced at her watch and realised that she had been sat with Emma for an hour.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you." Emma stood up from the sofa.
"Thank you for lunch." The brunette smiled softly.
"You have your sister to thank for lunch. I just brought the company."
Regina let out a laugh. "Well thank you for company, Emma. I'll walk you out." Her hand drifted to the small of Emma's back as they walked down the hallway towards the elevators.
"Regina, Emma!" Henry called from the end of the hallway as he spotted them. "I'm so glad to see you again, Emma." Henry held his arms out and engulfed the blonde in a welcoming hug.
"Hi, Henry, it's good to see you too." Emma smiled up at the older man. She could see where Regina got her warmth from.
"I wanted to run something by you both. Cora and I are going away next weekend with Zelena and Robin and we would love it if you two could join us." He looked hopefully between his daughter and Emma.
"Oh, daddy, I'm not sure we can make it," Regina started trying to come up with a lie.
"We might be able to make something work, Regina." Emma smiled softly at the brunette.
"Oh that's great news." Henry smiled happily. "Welcome to the family, Emma." He began to whistle as he walked down the hallway and disappeared from sight.
"Emma," Regina started but Emma held up a hand.
"You have to get back to work. We can talk about it later, okay?"
"Okay." Regina nodded knowing she didn't want to have that conversation in the hallway. "I'll call you tonight."
"Bye, Regina." Emma leaned forward and pecked the brunette on the cheek before she disappeared into the elevator. Regina held a hand to her cheek for a few seconds before she turned and made her way back to her office with a goofy smile on her face.
xXx
"You're going where with Regina?" Ruby asked as she looked at Emma through her mirror as she applied her make-up.
"Away for the weekend with her family." Emma was lying on her stomach with a pillow under her chin as she watched her friend get ready for a night out.
"Wait, so she asked you to go away for the weekend with her family?" Ruby turned and stared at Emma in shock.
"No. Her father asked us to go and Regina tried to find an excuse not to go but I said yes." Emma gave a small shrug and hugged the pillow closer.
"You said yes?"
"What's wrong with that?" The blonde frowned.
"Nothing. I just thought this was a one night thing between you?" Ruby raised an eyebrow and turned back to her mirror. Emma gave a sigh and pushed herself up into a seated position. "Come on, Em, you can tell me anything." Ruby could see the expression on the blonde's face.
"It was supposed to be just one night but I enjoyed the time I spent with her at the ball." She looked down at the sheets as she began to pick at the hem. "I kissed her," she finally admitted.
"What?!" Ruby spun around in her seat so fast she nearly fell off. "Why are you only telling me this now?"
"We were dancing and she was looking at me and I just couldn't help it. I said that one of her colleagues was watching but they weren't." Emma let out a sigh and fell backwards onto the bed.
"Did she kiss you back?" Ruby jumped onto the bed by her friend's side as Emma draped an arm over her eyes. "Did she?"
A smile graced the blonde's lips as she remembered their kiss. "She did." Ruby let out a little scream and bounced up and down which caused Emma to laugh and sit up.
"So, that's why you agreed to go away. In case you can kiss her again?" Ruby's eyes lit up at the idea. "Oh, this is so sweet!"
A small blush appeared on Emma's cheeks. "I didn't think I'd enjoy spending time with her as much as I do," she admitted.
"Aww, you're really smitten, aren't you?" Ruby teased and poked her friend in the ribs.
Emma laughed. "Shut up, Rubes." She pushed herself off of the bed and watched as her friend sat back down to finish her make-up. "Have a good time tonight." The blonde padded her way into her own bedroom to get ready for a shower. She had just stripped down to her underwear when her phone began to ring. She couldn't help but smile as she saw Regina's name flash up on the screen.
"Hey, Regina."
"Emma, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"No, no." Emma sat cross legged on her bed.
"Good. Listen, about this weekend that my father invited us on. Please, don't feel that you have to come. I can make an excuse. You came to the ball. You really don't have to do anything else for me."
"I know I don't but I'm offering. Your dad seemed so happy to invite us. Plus Zelena and Robin will be there so it won't be all bad."
Regina sighed down the phone. "Are you sure, Emma?"
"Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. Relax, Regina. I can handle your mother for a weekend."
"Emma," Regina spoke softly.
"Hey, Regina, it's okay. You don't need to worry. It'll only be for a weekend and I'm offering to do this, you haven't asked me."
"You really don't have to do this. I don't want my mother doing or saying something that upsets you."
"I'm a big girl. I have a thick skin. Regina, let me do this for you, please?" Emma began to twirl a strand of hair around her finger. "This could work in your favour. We could have an argument at the end of the weekend that could start the break up?" the blonde suggested hoping that would help make the brunette accept the offer. In reality she hoped that the weekend would bring them closer and instead of a break up maybe a real date would happen.
Regina paused on the other end of the phone as she thought about it. "I guess that could work…"
"It will. So, how was your afternoon?" Emma asked before Regina was able to disagree.
"Awful," Regina sighed.
"Tell me all about it." Emma smiled as she listened to Regina tell her all about her afternoon. The blonde found that she didn't mind hearing about the brunette's awful afternoon, actually, she found it warming to know that Regina was happy to share it with her. Emma leaned back against her pillow and couldn't wipe the smile from her face from listening to the brunette's voice.
A/N: So, the next chapter could take me a couple of weeks to write. Life is rather hectic right now but I will try my hardest!